Thousands Of Lightning Strikes Reported Across Washington

OLYMPIA, WA — Stormy weather in Washington this week resulted in thousands of lightning strikes across the state, according to lightning reports from the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center (NWCC).

On Friday, NWCC reported 521 individual strikes in Washington between 8 a.m. June 27 and 8 a.m. June 28. More than 2,000 lightning strikes were recorded between 8 a.m. Wednesday and 8 a.m. Thursday alone, the agency reported, the vast majority of which occurred along the east side of the Cascade range.

In its morning briefing, released just before 8 a.m. Friday, NWCC reported 15 fires currently burning roughly 7 acres in Washington. However, no singularly large fires are currently active in the state.

The largest fire burning in the Pacific Northwest at this time is in Oregon, NWCC reported.

The Days Coffee fire, a lightning-caused conflagration located 6 miles northwest of Tiller, Oregon, is reportedly burning 140 acres and is zero percent contained. Approximately 170 fire personnel expect to the have the fire handled by June 30, NWC reported.

Most of Washington currently shows a minimal-to-normal risk for potentially large fires, with the only area showing an elevated risk covering the east Cascades, from north of Wenatchee to south of Yakima. According to the National Weather Service, that area could see its largest concentration of lightning strikes on Monday.

Throughout the weekend, weather experts expect lightning storms to hit Puget Sound and Eastern Washington, with concentrated rain and lightning expected north and south of Spokane.